THE NAMES OF BERRIES IN THE KOMI-PERMYAK LANGUAGE OF THE LATE 18th CENTURY (ON THE MANUSCRIPTS OF ANTONY POPOV)

Abstract

The article deals with fifteen Komi-Permyak names of berries noted at the end of the 18th century: ди́каꙗ ка́лина [díkaya kálina] ‘elderberry (Sambucus racemosa L.)’, е́жевика [ézhevika] ‘European dewberry (Rubus caesius L.) (?)’, же́лнегъ [zhélneg] ‘rose hip (Rosa L.)’, жи́молость [zhímolost'] ‘honeysuckle (Lonicera L.)’, жо́ [zhó] ‘viburnum (Viburnum L.)’, л ѣ ́ мъ [lém] ‘bird cherry (Prunus padus L.)’, мы́рпонъ [mýrpon] ‘cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.)’, на́мыръ [námyr] ‘stone bramble (Rubus saxatilis L.)’, о́зъ [óz] ‘strawberry (Fragaria L.)’, пу́лъ [púl] ‘cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.)’, ря́бина [ryábina] ‘rowan (Sorbus L.)’, сэ́тэръ [séhtehr] ‘currant (Ribes L.)’, с ѣ ́ ́ла о̀зъ [séla òz] ‘creamy strawberry (Fragaria viridis (Duch.) Weston)’, ту́ри моль [túri mol'] ‘cranberry (Vaccinium subgen. Oxycoccus (Hill) A. Gray)’, э́мидзь [éhmidz'] ‘raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)’. The research is based on the material of two handwritten Komi-Permyak-Russian dictionaries (alphabetical and thematic) of 1785 authored by the archpriest of the Peter and Paul Cathedral in Perm Antony Popov (1748-1788). The purpose of this study is to establish the history, etymology and ethnocultural features of the Komi-Permyak names of berries noted in A. Popov’s manuscripts. Among the methods and approaches used in this study: a) methods of historical knowledge; b) the empirical method; c) methods and techniques of comparative historical and comparative linguistics. The names of berries from A. Popov’s dictionaries are compared with the material of other later sources on the Komi-Permyak language, and are also compared with the data of the Komi-Permyak literary language and modern Komi dialects. The ethnolinguistic data and versions about the origin of all the considered Komi-Permyak words are given. Etymological analysis has shown that the native names of berries originated in ancient times, most of them belong to the pre-Permic (Finno-Permic, Finno-Ugric, Uralic) era; also there is a possible substrate heritage. Some words have lost the ability to be used independently, while others can now be classified as archaisms, dialectisms, and passive vocabulary.